Evaporative cooler construction



7 1956 A. D. GOETTL ETAL 3,287,000

EVAPORAT IVE COOLER CONSTRUCTION Filed July 1. 1965 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2l2 as 17s I I INVENTOR. ADAM D. GOETTL BY JOHN M. GO TTL United StatesPatent 3,287,000 EVAPORATIVE COOLER CONSTRUCTION Adam D. Goettl and JohnM. Goettl, Phoenix, Ariz., assignors to McGraw-Edison Company,Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 1, 1963, Ser. No.292,021 4 Claims. (Cl. 261-74) This invention relates to an evaporativecooler construction and more particularly to a very economicalevaporative cooler construction which may be produced in great volume ata low cost to the consumer and which, therefore, provides substantialeconomic advantages to the general public.

Evaporative coolers are a very important item to the comfort of thegeneral public in numerous arid regions throughout the world and in manyplaces these coolers have become a necessity to the health of thegeneral public. Due to the wide spread demand for evaporative coolersand due to their beneficial operation, it has been recognized that theproduction of -a very economical evaporative cooler, to be sold at avery low cost, will permit more people to enjoy the benefits ofevaporative cooling in arid regions.

Additionally, such economical evaporative coolers may attain more widespread use in industry to provide comfort for workers, and thereby,increase production in various industries.

Accordingly, it is an object ofthe invention to provide a veryeconomical evaporative cooler which will promote the wide spread use ofevaporative coolers, and, thereby attain wide spread evaporative coolingbenefits which will not only improve healthful conditions in homes, butin industrial establishments as well,

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporative coolerconstruction which includes features contributing to low material andproduction costs to thereby permit a manufacturer to deliver and sellevaporative coolers at a very low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporative coolerhaving a sump pan and side frame structure all formed of a single pieceof sheet metal and integral with each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel evaporative coolerstructure wherein a sump pan and a side -frame element are integral witheach other and formed of a single sheet of metal, and, wherein, novelmeans is provided tor the folding of the corners of the sump pan and theside frame member to provide a leak proof corner and yet form thesemembers integral with each other and of -a single sheet of metal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very economicalevaporative cooler construction which very admirably lends itself tomachine production with a minimum amount of labor. 3

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporative coolerconstruction having novel means in the sheet metal blank thereof forpromoting accurate folding of corners of a leak proof sump pan from asingle sheet of metal and maintaining'the sump pan integral with a sideframe portion of the evaporative cooler.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from thefollowing specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. '1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an evaporative coolerconstruction in accordance with the present invention and showingportions further broken away and in section to amplify the illustration;

FIG. 2 is a view of a Hat sheet metal blank used to form a sump pan andside frame member of the evaporative cooler construction in accordancewith the invention;

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FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken from the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 44of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of atolding corner structure of a blank similar to that shown in FIG. 2; and7 FIG. 6 is a fragmentary edge elevational view of a corner of the blankshown in FIG. 5 and taken from the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an evaporative cooler sump pan and frame sidemember is tormed of a single sheet of metal and is readily adapted toproduction by a machine, thereby, saving considerable labor andmaterials.

As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, .a blank 10 is sheared out of asingle sheet of metal in order to provide a sump pan blank section 12and a side frame blank section 14. At the corners of the sump pan blanksection 12 there are provided elongated indented portions 16 and .17having ends which terminate along a line 18 which is at substantially 45degrees to the edges 20 and 22 of the blank which terminate at therespective corner.

Adjacent ends of the indented portions 16 and 17 are offset to permitthe portions 16 to fold into positions between the portions 17 and thegeneral cross-section of these indented portions 16 and 17 is similarand as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. These indented portions 16 and17 increase the section of the sheet metal blank and are disposedlongitudinally at right angles to the break lines 18 which are disposedat substantially -at 45 degrees to the corners being formed. The groupsof these indented portions 16 and 17 are substantially parallel witheach other and terminate at intersections 24 of break lines 26, 28, 30and 32 about which the metal is broken at right angles to form a sumppan bottom and three sides 34, 36 and 38.

It will be understood that the indented portions 16 and 17 increase thesection of the sheet metal blank adjacent to the break lines, such thatmetal will 'bendprecisely on the break lines adjacent the ends of theindented portions 16 and 17, which terminate at an angle to the breaklines.

These three sides are also integral with the frame side break portion 14which is formed upwardly about the break line 28 as indicated in FIG. 1of the drawings. Additionally, break lines 38 and 40 meet the junctures24 of the break line 28 with the break lines 26 and 30. Outwardly of thebreak line-s 38 and 40 are flange forming portions 42 and 44 which areformed into respective flanges 46 and 48 integral with the frame blankportion 14. I

The blank portion 14 is provided with 'an opening 50 at which an outlet52 of a centrifugal blower 54 is connected. This blower is internallydisposed relative to the evaporative cooler construction of theinvention and 'is located above the sump portion 12, all as shown bestwith the upstanding side 'frame portion 14 which isinte- 'gral with thesump structure hereinbefore described.

At corners of the sump 12 opposite the frame side portion 14 are framemembers 64 which interconnect such corners of the sump pan and outercorners 66 of the top 60. These corner members 64 are substantially L1shaped in cross-section and vare secured by spot welds'or other meansdesignated 68 in connection with the top 60 in a since it does notcontain water.

3 similar manner to the connection thereof with the flanges 46 and 48and the frame side portion 14. Evaporative cooler pad frames 70 areconnected in the conventional manner to the flanges 46 and 48 andbetween the corner member 64 so that the blower 54 may force air throughevaporative cooler pads in the louvered frames 70 and outwardly throughthe outlet 52. The sump pan formed as hereiubefore' described containswater which is recirculated through the pads of the pad frames 70.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the top 56 maybe very economically produced to be secured in connection with theremaining structure of the evaporative cooler since any method formaking the top may be used and the top need not be water proof However,the sump pan integral with the side frame portion 14 must be water proofor leak proof at the corners of the structure and yet this entirestructure of the sump pan and the side frame must be formed of a singlesheet of metal and preferably made by an automatic machine in order topromote economy in the manufacture of evaporative coolers.

In the modification as shown in FIG. 5, a modified means is shown forforming the break lines in the corners of the blank of sheet metaldisclosed in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 indented or creasedportions 72 and 74 are in alignment with the break =lines 30 and 32respectively; while another indented portion 76 is directed insubstantially the same direction as te break lines 18 hereinbeforedescribed to induce the corner structure of the blank to fold on theline 18, and, thus, each corner of the blank is prepared according tothis modification with the creased portions 72, 74 and 76 to induce thecorners to fold precisely so that the sump pan. structure and frame sidestructure may be formed integrally and provide a precisely formed sumppan structure having folded corners which are water proof and leakproof.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a mannerlimited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In an evaporative cooler construction the combination of: arectangular box shaped sump pan having a bottom and two opposed pairs ofupstanding sides; a frame side portion integral with one of saidupstanding sides; two flange portions of said frame side portionsubstantially contiguous to an opposed pair of said upstanding sides ofsaid sump pan portion, said frame side portion and said flange portionsextending a considerable distance above said-upstanding sides; andangularly folded portions integral with said upstanding sides and saidflange portions; said folded portion-s disposed and extending up wardlyat an angle relative to said upstanding sides and said frame sideportion and to an elevation above a liquid containing level in said sumppan; a separate rectanguler inverted box shaped evaporative cooler topstructure above said upstanding sides; and angularly folded portionsliquid containing level in said sump pan; a separate rectangularinverted box shaped evaporative cooler. top

coupled to said frame side portion and disposed in opposed relationwithsaid sump pan and vertically superimposed thereover; said angularlyfolded portions having elongated indented portions angularly disposed tobreak lines of said folded portions whereby precise folding of saidfolded portions is accomplished when constructing the sump pan and frameside portions in integral relationship with each other and during theforming of a sump pan with sides integral with flange portions of theframe side portions.

2. In an evaporative cooler construction the combination of: arectangular box shaped sump pan having a bottom and two opposed pairs ofupstanding sides; a frame side portion integral with one of saidupstanding sides; two flange portions of said frame side portionsubstan- :tially contiguous to an opposed pair of said upstanding sidesof said sump pan portion, said frame side portion and said flangeportions extending a considerable distance structure coupled to saidframe side portion and disposed in opposed relation with said sump panand .verti cally superimposed thereover; said frame side portion andsaid sump pan integral with each other and formed of a single sheet ofmetal; indented portions of said sheet of metal at corners thereofdisposed along and in alignment with break lines of said angularlyfolded portions precisely to initiate folding of said-angularly foldedportions precisely to accomplish integral folded structure between saidintegral frame side portion and said sump pan portion and the respectivesides of the pan and the flange portions of the. frame port-ion.

3. In an evaporative cooler construction the combination of: arectangular 'box shaped sump pan having a bottom and two opposed pairsof upstanding sides; a frame side portion integral with one of saidupstanding sides; two flange portionsof said frame side portionsubstantially contiguous to an opposed pair of said upstanding sides ofsaid sump pan portion, said frame side portion and said flange portionsextending a considerable distance above said upstanding sides; andangularly folded portions integral with said upstanding sides and .said.

flange portions; said folded portions disposed and extending upwardly atan angle relative to said upstanding sides and said frame side portionand, to an elevation above a liquid containing level in said sump pan; aseparate rectangular inverted box shaped evapor-ative cooler topstructure coupled to said frame side portion and disposed in.

opposed relation with said sump pan and vertically superimposedthereover; said angularly folded portions having elongated indentedportions angularly disposed to break lines of said folded portionswhereby precise folding of said folded portions is accomplished whenconstructing the sump pan and frame side portion in integralrelationship with each other and during the forming of a sump;

pan with sides integral with flange portions of the frame side portion;a plurality of said elongated indented :portions having ends terminatingat an angle to break line portions of said folded portions at each sideof said break line portions.

4. In an evaporative cooler construction the combination of: arectangular box shaped sump pan having a. bottom and two opposed pairsof upstanding sides; a,

frame side portion integral with one of said upstanding sides; twoflange portions of said frame side portion substantially contiguous toan opposed pair of said upstanding sides of said sump pan portion, saidframe side portion and said flange portions extending a considerabledistance above said upstanding sides; and angularly folded portionsintegral with said upstanding sides and said .flange portions; saidfolded portions disposed and extending upwardly at an angle relative tosaid upstanding sides and said frame side portion and to an elevationabove a liquid containing level in said 'sump pan; a.

separate rectangular inverted box shaped evaporative cooler topstructure coupled to said frame side portion and disposed in opposedrelation with said sump pan and vertically superimposed thereover; saidangularly folded portions having elongated indented portions angularlydisposed to break lines of said folded portions whereby precise foldingof said folded portions is accomplished when 5 of a respective breakline portion being parallel to and in ofiset relation to said indentedportions at an opposite side of said break line portion, whereby,folding of said angular-1y folded portions disposes said offset indentedportions between the other of said indented portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 700,575 5/1902Thompson 29-521 1,155,143 9/1915 Gaube. 1,876,063 9/ 1932 Kronenberger.2,026,311 12/ 1935 Harris 113-120 Piker 220-62 Jensen 113-54 Moore113-120 Norqu-ist 229-31 X Larson 220-62 Martin 261-29 Ash 2 61-29 XBaum et a1 229-31 X Goett-l 261-24 HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

T. R. MILES, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN AN EVAPORATIVE COOLER CONSTRUCTION THE COMBINATION OF: ARECTANGULAR BOX SHAPED SUMP PAN HAVING A BOTTOM AND TWO OPPOSED PAIRS OFUPSTANDING SIDES; A FRAME SIDE PORTION INTEGRAL WITH ONE OF SAIDUPSTANDING SIDES; TWO FLANGE PORTIONS OF SAID FRAME SIDE PORTIONSUBSTANTIALLY CONTIGUOUS TO AN OPPOSED PAIR OF SAID UPSTANDING SIDES OFSAID SUMP PAN PORTION, SAID FRAME SIDE PORTION AND SAID FLANGE PORTIONSEXTENDING A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE ABOVE SAID UPSTANDING SIDES; ANDANGULARLY FOLDED PORTIONS INTEGRAL WITH SAID UPSTANDING SIDES AND SAIDFLANGE PORTIONS; SAID FOLDED PORTIONS DISPOSED AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY ATAN ANGLE RELATIVE TO SAID UPSTANDING SIDES AND SAID FRAME SIDE PORTIONAND TO AN ELEVATION ABOVE A LIQUID CONTAINING LEVEL IN SAID SUMP PAN; ASEPARATE RECTANGULER INVERTED BOX SHAPED EVAPORATIVE COOLER TOPSTRUCTURE COUPLED TO SAID FRAME SIDE PORTION AND DISPOSED IN OPPOSEDRELATION WITH SAID SUMP PAN AND VERTICALLY SUPER-